WINDHOEK – Two of Namibia’s leading para-athletes Ananias Shikongo and Johannes Nambala have left for Holland to intensify their preparations for next month’s World Para-athletics Grand Prix Series taking place 28-30 August in Paris, France.

Paris will stage the season-ending Grand Prix ahead of the World Para-athletics Championships in November this year.

The sprinting pair of Shikongo and Nambala will be setting up camp in Holland before moving to France for the actual competition. The Holland camp was made possible by the Shikongo’s Sport on the Move Foundation, which he set up to help para-athletes when preparing for major competitions.

Shikongo established the foundation after the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil, where he scooped a gold medal in the Men’s T11 200m event. This time around, only Shikongo and Nambala will be heading off to prepare for the Grand Prix. The pair is going to take part in the 100, 200 and 400 m events at the Grand Prix Series in Paris.  

Shikongo was very upbeat ahead of their departure for Holland, saying: "We have been training with local coaches here, but with an added bonus of training with other coaches overseas, it will add value to our fitness and work-rate ahead of the competition."

At the moment, the foundation will foot the bill for the two athletes to camp in Holland and France while they await government’s support.